Fountain pen



Feb. 18, 1958 c. R. JOHNSON FOUNTAIN PEN Filed July 20, 1956 Clarence R. Johnson 1N VEN TOR.

United States PatentO."

PEN

Clarence R. Johnson, Gary, Ind.,, assig nor of one-half to Joseph Szallar, East Chicago, Ind.

Application July 20, 1956,,Serial No. 599,145 1 Claim. (Cl. 12042.03)

My invention relates to improvements in fountain pens of the ball point type.

The primary object of my invention is to provide a fountain pen with interchangeable fine line and medium line ball writing points permanently connected to a source of ink supply and forming therewith a replacement unit reversible to interchange the writing points for selective use of either point.

Another object is to provide in such a pen for auto matically locking the ball writing points in projected writing position when the pen is held upright with the writing point lowermost.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of my improved fountan pen;

Figure 2 is a view in vertical longitudinal section taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 but with the pen inverted to position the writing point uppermost;

Figure 4 is an enlarged view in transverse section taken on the line 4--4 of Figure 2; and

Figure 5 is an enlarged view in transverse section taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 2.

Referring to the drawing by numerals, my improved pen comprises a barrel, designated generally by the numeral 1, and which comprises a front section 3 closed at its rear end by an elongated rear cap section 5.

The front section 3 is formed with a tapered front end 7 provided with a reduced axial front bore 9 and a rear larger bore 11 and with an internal stop shoulder 13 between said bores 9, 11 all for a purpose presently clear. The usual attaching clip 15 is provided on the front section 3.

The rear section 5 has a closed rear end 17 and a front end 19 threaded, as at 21, into the rear end of the front section 3 and forming in said from section 3 an annular stop shoulder 23 the purpose of which will presently be described.

A tubular plunger 25 is slidably mounted in the barrel 1 for advance and retraction therein, forwardly and rearwardly of said barrel, when said barrel 1 is held with the front end 7 lowermost and inverted with said end uppermost.

The plunger 25 is slidable in front and rear tubular weights 27, 29 slidably in the front and rear sections 3, 5, respectively, under the influence of gravity, when the barrel is inverted end for end.

When the barrel 1 is held with its front end 7 lowermost, the front weight 27 engages a stop flange 31 on the front end of said plunger 25 and advances said plunger, as shown in Figure 2. When the barrel 1 is held with its front end 7 uppermost, the rear weight 29 engages stop means 33 on the rear end of the plunger and retracts said 2,823,645 Patented Feb. 18,1958

2.. plunger, as. shown in. Figure 3. The stop means 33may comprise lateral. stop fingers. on said plunger or any other suitable means thereon.

A. replaceable inkv cartridge 35- is carried. by the plunger 2510- project'forwardly thereof and is slidably insertable at: either end inthe. front. end of the plunger 25. with a friction fit so that said cartridge 35. may be removed and reversed end for end. Suitable stopshoulders 37 onthe central: portion of the cartridge 35 engage. the stopflange 31 to: limit. insertion of the cartridge: 35. in said. plunger. The inkcartridge 35 slidably fits at either. end thereof in the larger bore 9 and said. cartridge is providedtat itsends with afiueline. and a medium. line writing ball point 39,. 41 which-when the. cartridge 35- is advanced and retracted are projected, and retractedout of. and into. the bore-11 into and from writing position, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, respectively. The ends of the cartridge 35 seat against the stop shoulder 13 and limit advance of the cartridge 35 and projection of the ball points 39, 41, as shown in Figure 2.

Means for locking the ball points 39, 41 in projected position is provided comprising a pair of rearwardly diverging locking dogs 43 pivoted at front ends thereof by a pin 45 in a slot 47 in a neck portion of the plunger 25.

The locking dogs 43 project out of the slot 47 at opposite sides of the plunger 25 for spreading apart against,

the front section 3 in front of the shoulder 23.

In the limit of advance of the plunger 25 and cartridge 35, and of projection of one of the ball points, the locking dogs 43 are moved by said plunger in front of the shoulder 23 and the rear weight 29 gravitates between the rear ends of said dogs 43 and spreads the same apart in front of said shoulder 23 to lock the plunger 25 and cartridge 35 advanced and the ball point 39, 41, as the case may be, projected as shown in Figure 2. Preferably, the rear weight 29 has a beveled front end 45 for engaging said dogs 43.

When the barrel 1 is inverted or reversed with its front end 7 uppermost, the front weight 27 gravitates against the locking dogs 43 and swings the same inwardly of the slot 47 clear of the shoulder 23 and then seats against the shoulder 23, thus unlocking the plunger 25 for retraction to retract the cartridge 35 and the ball point 39 or 41 in the bore 9, all as shown in Figure 3. As is shown in Figure 3, retraction of the plunger 25 is limited by engagement of its rear end with the rear end 17 of the rear section 5 of the barrel 1 and the dogs 43 enter the rear section 5 and are held thereby in inwardly swung position against one end of the slot 47 against play when the plunger 25 is retracted. The front weight 27 is enlarged internally, as at 47, to telescope over the locking dogs 43 and hold the same against said end of the slot 47.

By detaching the rear section 5 from the front section 3, the plunger 25, cartridge 35, points 39, 41, weights 27, 29 and locking dogs 43 may be removed as a unit. Then the cartridge 35 may be pulled out of the plunger 25 and reversed and reinserted in the plunger 25 to interchange the points 39, 41, and the parts reinserted in the front section 3 and the rear section replaced. Thus, the points 39, 41 may be used selectively. Obviously, the cartridge 35 and points 39, 41 form a replacement unit in which both points 39, 41 are served with ink from a common source of supply renewable with the points 39, 41.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and 3 equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as newis as follows:

A fountain pen comprising a barrel including a front section and a rear end cap threaded into the front section and providing an internal shoulder therein, a retractile plunger having front and rear ends and a writing point on its front end and being slidable in said barrel forwardly and rearwardly when the barrel is held upright and inverted whereby to advance and retract the writing point into and from writing position, a pair of rearwardly diverging dogs pivoted in said plunger remote from the rear end of the plunger for swinging apart in front of said shoulder when the plunger is slid forwardly and whereby to prevent rearward sliding of the plunger, a tubular slidable gravity weight on said plunger spaced rearwardly of and remote from said dogs when the barrel is inverted for sliding forwardly in between said dogs with sudden impact against the same to swing said dogs apart when the barrel is held upright, said dogs being swingable toward each other into ineffective position, a flange on said plunger forwardly of said dogs, and a second tubular gravity weight slidable on said plunger in front of said dogs for engaging said dogs and the flange in response to inverting of said barrel and positioning of the same upright whereby to swing said dogs into ineffective position and slide said plunger forwardly respectively, said flange being on the front end of the plunger remote from said dogs whereby the second weight will strike said dogs and flange with sudden impact against the same.

References Cited in the file of this patent FOREIGN PATENTS 4,254 Great Britain of 1889 4,022 Great Britain of 1890 651,387 Great Britain Mar. 14, 1951 

